Indictment alleges men used various hotels in Columbus to harbor women, used Internet to recruit customers

Keith Arrick Sr. of Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky and his son Keith Arrick Jr. of Columbus face a list of charges -- conspiracy, sex trafficking of a minor, sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion. Both men could get life in prison.

NKY father, son indicted in federal human trafficking case

Indictment alleges men used various hotels in Columbus to harbor women, used Internet to recruit customers

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The indictment charges both men with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, sex trafficking of a minor, and sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion.

Arrick Sr. is also charged with two counts of violating the Mann Act, which prohibits interstate transportation for prostitution.

The investigation found that the father and son forced one juvenile and multiple women, including one victim brought to Columbus from Kentucky, to engage in commercial sex acts between September 2013 and February 2014.

"She'd get phone calls and she'd tell him where they needed to go. From what I saw, he was just a chauffeur," said a Covington man who asked to remain anonymous. He pointed out Keith Arrick, Senior's car in his neighborhood. He said Arrick Sr. used the car to transport women as far as Columbus to meet johns.

"He'd take them, make sure they got where they were going, make sure they got back. The one girl that he was arrested with, I knew he took her up to Columbus because that's where one of her regular customers were and like I said, it was never a thing that seemed forced to me," the man said.

The indictment alleges that the defendants used various hotels in the Columbus area to harbor the women and used the Internet to recruit customers.

Arrick Sr. is accused of using physical violence or threats of violence if the victims indicated they wished to stop performing commercial sex acts.

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center has been investigating human trafficking because it considers the crime a form of modern-day slavery.

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center employee Natalie Hastings talked about the frequency of human trafficking in the corridor.

"Where prostitution can be found sex trafficking is also found," Hastings said. "In our corridor, the interstates especially, I-75 it's all around, they're trafficking people from one state to another. They go after people who are vulnerable and they are doing a lot of the advertising online."

"The investigation found that these defendants forced the victims to commit sex acts for money. They were held against their will and were fearful for their lives," said Attorney General Mike DeWine. "Members of this task force helped get these victims away from this situation, and now the defendants are facing the consequences of their actions."

Hastings explained the process by which the trafficking usually operates.

"They go off the demand for commercial sex. For example, if the demand is really high and they don't have enough supply of men or women who are doing the act willingly they will go after people through acts of human trafficking like what we heard about this morning," Hastings said.

The arrests and indictments follow an investigation by the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which is part of the Ohio Attorney General's Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission.

Arrick Sr. is already in jail in Kenton County. His son was arrested in Columbus.

In Ohio websites like backpage.com have become the link for many traffickers, authorities said.

"Similar to a Craigslist-type online classified, but this is the one Craigslist has taken a lot of action to take those ads down. The ads for escorts have moved to this backpage," Hastings said.

Officials said human trafficking is considered one of the three largest criminal enterprises worldwide with 20 million to 27 million people being exploited.

Officials said a detention hearing is set for Arrick Jr. on Friday in Columbus.